What makes you socially awkward
And it’s okay to be
So what?
Do you consider yourself socially awkward? I consider myself someone that can be awkward when it comes to socialising in various settings. I fare better when the interaction is one on one but I can definitely be socially awkward when it comes to group settings. In this post, we are going to discuss what makes you socially awkward. We will walk through what you can do to be less socially awkward whilst embracing small talks and still being yourself.
Nothing wrong
Please do let me start off by saying that being socially awkward is not a health issue, whether it be mental or physical. The medical field does not have a diagnostic criteria or definition when it comes to social awkwardness. You can be rest assured that there is nothing wrong with you if you are awkward. Having said that, being socially awkward can lead to physical symptoms of fear, anxiety or even panic. You may think that these symptoms are problematic but use these to motivate you to take action and care to learn and improve yourself.
Communication
One of the two main reasons why you are socially awkward is due to the trouble of communicating with others in social settings. Whether it be smaller gatherings or large groups of people, you say or do things that lack aspects of communication (i.e. clear, correct, complete, concise and compassionate). When this happens, you bring unwanted attention, say the wrong things or have hard time making friends. As with all relationships, communication is one of the key aspects for social interactions.
Social cues
The other main reason why you are socially awkward is that you are missing social cues. You are not understanding and/or responding to these cues and body language which impairs your ability to effectively interact in social settings. When you miss or misinterpret social cues, the person or people that you are interacting with may respond and act in ways that make you feel uncomfortable or unpleasant.
My experience
I consider myself skilful at reading and understanding social cues. What I have trouble with is communication. Specifically, being clear and concise. I tend to ramble on and go down the rabbit hole especially when it comes to things that I’m passionate or knowledgeable about. People who are listening to my ramble end up losing interest and focus.
What now?
- Do you consider yourself socially awkward?
- Are you aware of why you are awkward?
- Have a think about your recent interactions and see where things are not ideal.